Tolkien’s influence is so massive that he can be said to have basically obliterated the memory of everything that came before him. In effect, he reset the fantasy calendar to Year One with the publication of Fellowship.
As a result, there’s a lot of mileage to be gained by reading pre-LoTR fantasy. It’s like discovering a different world, one without any knowledge of Tolkien
The fantasy genre did not begin with Tolkien. I strongly encourage you to read the books that inspired the works of your favorite authors. Reading Lord of the Rings led me to read the Kalevala, the Icelandic Sagas and Sir Gawain & the Green Knight. Reading Narnia led me to read Paradise Lost and The Faerie Queene. Reading Harry Potter led me to Agatha Christie, the Greek Tragedies and Dream of the Red Chamber. Many of these authors felt that their vocation was directing readers to great works of myth and poetry that were in danger of being forgotten. We honor their memories by reading the books that they loved.